Buhari’s mega rally: Lagos restricts movement on 18 major routes
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Ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign visit to Lagos on Saturday, the state government, in conjunction with the Transport Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign, has said vehicular movement will be restricted around Surulere axis.
It advised market women, residents and transporters to stay away from the axis on Saturday.
The Chairman of Transport Committee on Muhammadu Buhari’s Campaign visit to Lagos and former Minister of State for Defence, Mr Demola Seriki, stated this yesterday at a travel advisory media briefing he addressed at the state secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, the state capital.
The committee also said over 500 officials of the Lagos Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), 150 Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials and other police and Department of the State Services (DSS) personnel are expected to manage the traffic and security in the metropolis during the campaign.
To reduce and manage vehicular movement into the state and especially in the axis, the FRSC has banned movement of trucks and tankers into the state between tomorrow and Saturday.
The transport committee said over 100,000 people are expected at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, venue of the mega rally.
Areas to be affected are: National Stadium and Teslim Balogun Stadia, Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere, Lawanson/Itire Road/Tejuosho Road, Apapa Road Costain, Abebe Village/Eric Moore Road, Eko Bridge/Apongbon, Marina Road, Ikorodu Road, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Old Toll Gate/Third Mainland Bridge/Obalende, International Airport Road, Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway, Agege Motor Road, Jibowu, Yaba-Muritala Mohammed Way Iddo/Otto, Herbert Macaulay Way–Adekunle, Ijora Olopa/Ijora.
On the planned traffic diversion and other logistics put in place to ensure a hitch-free presidential campaign rally, Seriki urged Lagosians to stay off Surulere axis on Saturday.
The former minister, who was accompanied by other members of the committee, like the Commissioner for Transportation Ladi Lawanson, LASTMA’s General Manager Wale Musa, the state’s FRSC Sector Commander Hygenius Omeje and other stakeholders, said the roads would be shut between 10 a.m to 6 p.m.
He said: “The visit, billed for Saturday, February 9, will afford the President the opportunity to meet with the people and address them directly about his plans and programmes for them, if re-elected into office in the forthcoming general elections.
“As usual, especially at this time when elections are in the air, coupled with the fact that the President has a large following across the land who will besiege the venue of the campaign rally at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, the huge number of people will expectedly affect the traffic situation in the metropolis.
“In the light of this, we have, in collaboration with all concerned and necessary agencies of government, designed a programme to ensure free flow of traffic while the visit lasts.
“Accordingly, this travel advisory is hereby issued to advise the public on alternative routes to ensure that all those who will not be at the venue of the campaign do not get stuck in traffic on the following routes that will be affected.”
Seriki added that the traffic would either be closed or diverted on the 18 major routes.
“Alaka (by Lanre Shittu Motors) on the service lane inwards Stadium will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to the Stadium bridge on the main carriage way.
“Shitta inwards Stadium and Stadium inwards Shitta will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to Adeniran Ogunsanya Street or Akerele Extension. Traffic from Baracks to Stadium on Funsho Williams Avenue will be diverted to Stadium Bridge on the main carriage way to Alaka,” he said.
Musa said 500 officials of the agency would manage traffic on the day while Omeje said trucks and tankers had been warned to stay away from Lagos on Friday and Saturday.
Asked what alternative routes were made for the trucks coming into Lagos from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Omeje said the FRSC had discussed with the various unions on parking outside Lagos.
He said most of the trucks had been informed to use Ogere and other places on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
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